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by SmartZelda



Series: Promptis Oneshots [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Extremely background gladnis, M/M, Promptis - Freeform, implied Gladnis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 04:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25078219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmartZelda/pseuds/SmartZelda
Summary: Prompto knows Noctis has to die--they all do--and he's made his peace, resolved to hide his true feelings under a mask as Noctis lives happily in the afterlife.But when Noctis returns from the final battle alive, Prompto can't hold his feelings back anymore, no matter how hard he tries.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Promptis Oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1816231
Comments: 8
Kudos: 65





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**Author's Note:**

> Booya! First promptis fic! I've been wanting to write one for a while and I'm glad to take my first step writing more than just Soriku  
> Enjoy!
> 
> Also, there is mention of blood and injury, but nothing explicit

"Watch out!"

Prompto isn't sure who yelled or who the yell is meant for. He, Ignis, and Gladiolus started out fighting together to keep the daemons at bay, but it feels like it's been hours since then, and he hasn't seen either of the guys for a while.

The daemon he's fighting now is particularly huge. All of them are, but it feels like with each one he kills, the next is stronger. Or is it he that's getting weaker?

"I said 'watch out'!"

Someone or something bumps into Prompto's back, sending him stumbling forward.

Thinking it could have been a daemon, Prompto quickly turns, but it's Gladiolus, fending off a daemon that must have come at him from behind.

"Watch yourself, blondie!"

"Thanks, Gladio."

"Remember your duty," Gladio reminds him as Prompto goes back to fending off his own daemon.

_I know all too well our duty. Noct has to die for the world. It's our job to protect him until then. And afterwards…_

He quickly lunges to the side, avoiding an attack from a second daemon. He fires shots at both daemons, panting, sweating, body surely dripping blood.

_Noct… He dies and we have to forget about him and live...for the sake of rebuilding the world…_

_We have to lose him again..._

It's not the first time Prompto's gone over his duty in his head, gone over the implications of their various destinies. He knows--they _all_ know--Noctis has to die. He had shoved his feelings down, put on a mask during the ten years Noctis was in the crystal, and he can do it again. He knows as well as Ignis and Gladiodio that they can't put Noctis over the world.

"No…" Prompto breathes weakly, as a third daemon appears, and then a fourth.

How much more can they take of this? Did Noct fail?

But before the daemons can deal a finishing blow, the rain stops, and the daemons disappear into thin air, as if they never existed.

Looking around, he can see Gladio and Ignis now, just as confused as he is, until a gut wrenching feeling hits all of them at once and they double over, clutching their chests.

_I can feel it. The daemons… They're all gone…_

That means the scourge has been purged from their star. It means Ardyn is gone. Noctis defeated him and-

_He's dead._

Prompto watches Gladio move towards Ignis as he himself staggers over to both of them.

Now that the adrenaline is fading, Prompto is hyper aware of the clothes sticking to his body from the rain and blood, and the injuries limiting his movements. _Everything_ hurts. He falls to the ground upon reaching Gladio and Ignis.

"You...alive…?" Gladio breathes out, barely holding himself up on his knees.

"...Barely…" Ignis chokes out, breathing heavily, lying on the ground.

Prompto puts some of the little energy he has left to force his head to nod. Looking at himself now, his injuries aren't nearly as bad as he would've expected. He's just been hyped up on adrenaline so long he's exhausted now, leaving his body burning from overexertion, not just from his injuries.

The trio stays there, just trying to breathe, until Gladio finally manages to move, and he holds a hand out to Ignis. "Iggy… Wh...where's… First aid…"

Ignis weakly moves a hand to pull a kit out from the inside of his jacket, and Gladio pulls it from his shaky hands. He opens it, doing his best to carefully lower it to the ground, and removes the bandages and antibiotic ointment.

None of them dare to pull out the potions or any other items in their pockets. With Noct dead, they wouldn't work anyways, and they aren't about to get their hopes up that Noctis survived and deal with the inevitable feelings when it fails, just like they know it will, because they know he's dead.

Absolutely _dead_.

Ignis keeps directing Gladio to the spots that need dealing with, and by the time Gladio's working on his injuries, Prompto has enough energy to patch up his own.

_Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine. Everything will be fine._

"Wow…"

Prompto looks up to see what Gladio could be in awe over, and there it is. The sun is peeking over the rubble of Insomnia, casting rays of oranges, reds, and pinks as it rises. 

_It's breathtaking..._

"It's fitting," Ignis says like he knows, despite not being able to see it himself.

A new beginning. A new world without the scourge plaguing the star of Eos.

A world without Noctis.

Prompto frowns before looking at Ignis and Gladio. Gladio's got a hand on Ignis's shoulder, holding him close. Tears glisten on their eyes, and Prompto tries to hold his own back.

None of them will truly be over Noctis, but at least Ignis and Gladio will find their own happiness together.

And Prompto? He will live. That's the least he can do.

And when he gets home--wherever that is--or at least somewhere to rest, he will give himself a chance to mourn. _Alone_.

"Let's go," he sighs, using a hand to push himself up off the ground. His body is still shaky, exhausted, but he can move, and that's enough to leave this place.

He turns away from the sunrise, and waits till he feels Gladio's hand on his shoulder before returning the gesture, and taking the first step.

"Hey!" Noctis's voice rings in Prompto's ears.

_"Hey! Hey! Hey!"_

He freezes up. His ears must be playing tricks on him. He has to be hearing what his heart wants him to hear.

But then he takes a look at Gladio beside him, and Ignis beside Gladio, and they too are frozen, confused and surprised looks upon their faces.

"...Is that…" Gladio begins.

"...Noct…?" Ignis wonders.

_So they heard it too… But… It can't be…_

"Guys," a relieved voice sighs from behind them. "I'm so glad…"

It only takes about half a second for Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis to turn around. Better to turn around, check, disprove the silly notion that _he_ could be there.

A gasp escapes from Prompto's mouth.

_It can't…_

But it is. Standing there, framed by the light of the sunrise is the true king, the former prince himself, with his royal garb, trimmed beard, and a genuine smile. He looks so happy, relatively unharmed...

And very much _not_ dead.

Gladio is the first to speak. "Is that really you man?"

"Yeah." Noctis nods, before his face shifts to one of concern. "Oh, here." He pulls out potions for each of the guys and administers them one at a time. "You guys fought so hard…"

"I'm sure you did even more so," Ignis says honestly.

"Yeah. How _did_ you survive?"

"I… The details are hazy," Noctis answers Gladio. "I'm just glad you guys are alive. I was so afraid that…"

Once Noctis finally administers the potion for Prompto, all of his injuries slowly fade, leaving just the exhaustion. He's is unable to look away from Noctis's face, mesmerized, and Noctis's touch left his skin tingling. His mouth moves without a thought.

"We're glad you're alive."

That brings the smile back to Noctis's face.

And that's when the floodgates break for everyone except Prompto, who is still holding the tears back, his head still telling him it isn't real.

_This isn't real. It isn't._

"You're... _alive_ …" Ignis cries into Noctis's shoulder as Noctis hugs him.

Then, Noctis moves on to hug Gladio, who only mutters "Man…" as the tears fall and he squeezes Noctis.

But when Noctis stands before Prompto, almost like he's waiting for him to make the first move, the mask shatters, and everything hits Prompto like a shot through the heart.

_He's alive…_

_I almost… I almost_ **_lost_ ** _him…_

Prompto's body starts to shake again, but his knees don't go weak enough to collapse. Tears gush from his eyes, the fat droplets hitting the ground, and his face reddens from how hard he's trying to hold in his tears, but he can't anymore.

_I almost lost him._

He frantically tries to wipe the tears from his eyes with his hands, turns his head to try to hide it all from Noctis.

"Prom, what's wrong?" The concern shines in Noctis's eyes as he puts a hand on Prompto's shoulder.

_Prom..._

"...It's… I-It's f-fine…" He shrugs Noctis's hand off. "I'm...fine…"

"I know it's not fine. I _know_ you, Prompto."

Prompto just shakes his head, the tears still rushing down. "It's...too hard to...to explain…" It's a lie, but Prompto knows he can't tell him the truth.

_I can't… If I tell you… You'll know my feelings…_

_More than anything, I'm afraid if you know… I just can't mess things up…_

So, he's the first to walk off, hiding his face, his heart aching more than his tired body.

~

Miraculously, Prompto finds his old dingy apartment in an area spared by the destruction from the last ten years. It's the same as it was when he left it ten years ago--not counting the thick layer of dust coating every surface--and it has remained uninhabited since then.

He doesn't bother to turn on the lights. Instead, he follows muscle memory to the bed and falls in, sending dust into the air.

His tears have stopped falling by now, but he can't stop thinking, and his heart continues to ache as he coughs from the dust.

_You almost lost him. You. Almost. Lost. Him._

"I almost lost him…" he breathes into the dusty stale air.

_It's the first time the sun has risen in ten years, and all I can think about is Noct…_

_Pathetic._

_He was probably going to be happy in death with Luna. Maybe they would've married in the afterlife...just like they wanted in life…_

He clutches his heart, the pain worsening, his stomach churning.

_But...he's here..._ **_alive_** _… He's stuck rebuilding the world with us...despite all he's been through…_

_And now he's stuck with me and my feelings...the ones that showed up when Noct turned out to be alive and ripped away the wall holding them in…_

He doesn't know how long it's been when a knock on the door resounds through his apartment.

"Prompto?"

Prompto's heart squeezes, his eyes widening.

_Noct._

"Hey, Prom…" Noctis calls through the door. "We thought you'd be here. I left you alone for a while because Ignis said it would be best but…" He takes a deep breath. "It's been hours and...I need to know." Noctis knocks on the door once more, and to his surprise, the door creaks open.

Prompto curses himself for not locking the door.

"Prom?" Noctis neglects to turn on a light until he reaches the bed where he yanks the chain to turn on the lamp on the bedside table.

The lamp casts a dim light on Prompto's face as he still lies on his side in the bed.

Noctis sighs as he sits at the foot of the bed by Prompto's curled up legs. "Prom...I need to know."

"What?" Prompto says weakly.

"You're my best friend...and I need to know what's hurting you so bad."

"...I...I…" Prompto's face contorts as he tries to push out a lie. Any lie that'll get Noctis to leave so he doesn't accidentally let everything out.

But Prompto can't lie to Noctis anymore. His feelings are forcing themselves farther and farther up his throat, threatening to spew out.

"I...I...I'm just...glad you're...alive…" Prompto finally answers.

"...Me being alive hurts you?"

"Yes-! I mean- No-! I mean…" Prompto takes a deep breath. "That's not it…"

"Then...what is it?"

"I… I… Hey, you know what? I bet Iggy needs you to...to...with something!"

"Prompto."

"He's probably making food by now. Maybe Gladio needs help killing something for-"

" _Prom_. Look at me."

Prompto makes a face as he sits up on the bed, trying not to look at Noctis.

" _Please_."

Prompto swallows the lump in his throat as he slowly turns his head to face Noctis, struggling to look into his eyes.

"There's something you're not telling me, Prom."

The concern is evident in his voice, and the moment Prompto locks eyes with Noctis, his heart pounds in his chest. He's almost sure he can hear it. "...You...you really want to know…?"

"Yes," Noctis breathes. "I do."

Prompto's lip begins to tremble, and he wraps his arms around Noctis, burying his face into his shoulder. "We… I… We knew you were gonna die and…"

Noctis wraps his arms around Prompto, hugging him back. "And?"

"...And...we already made our peace with it and...and then you came back and…" Prompto sucks in a huge breath and tries to hold back the tears. "We almost lost you. _I_...almost lost you… I just wanted you to be happy, so I...I buried all my feelings down for your sake and… But you came back and...I couldn't hold them back anymore but I couldn't ruin what we had…"

"Prompto. What feelings?"

"I...I...I…" The tears welling up in his eyes finally fall, sinking into Noctis's clothes. "I _love_ you, Noct… _I love you_!" he cries.

"Prom…"

"I'm just...j-just...so... _afraid_ …"

_I can't pretend nothing is wrong anymore…_

"Luna is...she's dead and...you were supposed to get to be together, but...you're stuck _here_ … And now…"

_He loved her… She loved him… And now Noct knows how I feel...what's going to happen…?_

"I- I-" he begins to panic. "I'm sorry, Noct… I'm probably just burdening you with my feelings now aren't I-"

"Prom."

Prompto's mouth shuts, and the sound of Noctis's breathing fills the air.

"How long...have you loved me?"

"... _Years_ …" Prompto breathes.

"Prom, I…" Noctis begins. "I didn't...love her like that…"

"...you…"

"We were…well...childhood friends and that sure made going through with the marriage easier, but… I just… I knew it would make her happy because she loved me and it would make my father happy and…" Noctis pauses before starting again, sounding out the words, "I thought I was supposed to love _her_ the same way…"

The room goes silent, and Prompto finally lifts his face from Noctis's shoulder--that's now soaked with tears--and lets his chin rest on his shoulder instead.

_So...he doesn't love her like that…?_

Noctis finally takes a deep breath. "Prompto… There's something I need to say. Something that I…" Noctis chuckles, "Something that I probably should've realized a while ago when I was beat up over the train thing and Ardyn used you to taunt me. Maybe he didn't really mean it and was just trying to get to me, but…he was right."

"...He...was…" Prompto mutters.

Noctis brings his hands to Prompto's shoulders, forcing Prompto to straighten his back and look at him. The lamp casting light across Noctis's face illuminates a smile so genuine, so full of love and sincerity, as he locks eyes with Prompto again. " _You_ _are_ my heart's desire."

"Noct…" The tears well up in Prompto's eyes again, and he has half a mind to pretend he's not crying and wipe the tears from his face, but he can't look away from Noctis's own, and the tears cut trails in his cheeks. 

"I still don't remember how it happened, but...when I came back-- _alive_ \--the feeling strongest in my heart urged me to find you and the guys, hug you tighter than I ever have, and...finally tell you how I felt." He sighs apologetically, "I'm just sorry it took longer than immediately."

A smile similar to Noctis's own grows onto Prompto's face, brimming with joy, sincerity, and the love unearthed from the bottom of his heart, his eyes still red and wet from crying, and he gives Noctis a little laugh. "You're… Noct, _you're_ _my_ heart's desire too…"

_I don't care how long it took you… I'm just...so happy…_

Without a sound, Noctis lifts a hand to Prompto's head and buries it into his hair, dropping the other hand to his side, and Prompto laughs, setting his hands down on Noctis's shoulders.

They still look into each other's eyes, mesmerized, as their smiles remain. They're both unaware as they slowly draw closer to each other, eyes slowly closing, until finally the hand at Noctis's side finds its place at Prompto's upper back, and Prompto's arms rest on Noctis's shoulders, with one hand placed at the back of Noctis's neck, and the other playing with the hair at the back of his head.

Their lips finally meet in a sloppy kiss. Neither of them have ever kissed anyone before, but it's _theirs_. It's _their_ moment, _their_ kiss in Prompto's small apartment.

The first kiss turns into another, then another, and another, and dozens more before they draw back, and their eyes open, the saliva connecting their lips by a single strand.

_I don't care how messy or inexperienced we are. I just want to hold him close forever...to never stop kissing him...to never stop being right there by his side._

And by the way their hearts beat so close together, in tune, Prompto knows Noctis feels the same.

Prompto lifts his hand to caress the smooth skin of Noctis's cheek down to his newly clean-shaven jaw before locking eyes with him again.

"You really wanna be with me? Still want to help usher in the new world?" Noctis asks.

Prompto laughs for a moment, and answers by the time the sweet sound stops ringing through Noctis's ears, "Uh huh. Ever at your side, remember?"

Noctis pulls Prompto in for one more hug, the tightest hug he's ever given him, and he feels Prompto relax against his body, holding him back just as tight. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

_So this is_ **_home_** _..._


End file.
